They Had Names

African Americans in Early Records of Liberty and Bryan Counties, Georgia

Joseph Massey – Liberty County Estate Inventory

Location: Liberty County, Georgia
Deceased: Massey, Joseph
Date Sworn: 1785-01-29
Appraisers: John Lawson Jun’r, Stafford Somersall, William Peacock Jun’r
Estate Administrator: John Graves
Court Officer: J.P. Hardy
Date Recorded: unknown (see comments)
Recording Official: unknown (see comments)
Total Value of Property Appraised: 383.15.4 pounds
Value of enslaved persons: 212.10.0 pounds
Comments: This inventory and associated court documents found in Liberty County Probate Court loose files, not in the probate record book.

Inventory dated January 29, 1785. Inventory warrant dated January 24, 1785.

NameValuationDescription
Hazzard [alt: Hazard]47.10.00“Negro Man”
Judy50“Negro woman”
Merayer [possibly for Murriah]95“Negro woman Merayer & 2 children Sary & Amy]
Sary“Negro woman Merayer & 2 children Sary & Amy]
Amy“Negro woman Merayer & 2 children Sary & Amy]
Vilot60“Negro woman”
Lucy60“Negro woman”

Find the digitized original at: Loose Papers in folders by surname, Liberty County, Georgia, Probate Court; digitized images with typewritten indexes, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9QM-1DVH : accessed 7 Jun 2026), “Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990 -> Liberty -> Estate records 1775-1892 Lowe, John – McCall, John, image 808-812.